China's auto exports drop for 12 straight months

Shanghai, September 27 (Gasgoo.com) China's auto exports have declined for 12 straight months since August 2008 because of the global auto market slump and rising overseas trade barriers, xinhuanet.com reported last week, citing a commerce ministry official.

China's foreign trade had a sharp decline starting in the second half of last year, with auto exports from January to July 2009 plunging 56.9% from a year earlier to 191,000 units, said Zhou Ruojun, deputy director, overseeing exports of machinery and electric products, at the Ministry of Commerce.

China's auto export revenues in the January-August period were also down 22.2% to US$730.74 billion. Zhou said China's auto exports were facing an increasingly tougher situation as there was an apparent emerging of protectionism in international trade during the period.

But there were also quality and after-sales service problems frequently found in China-made autos in overseas markets, said Zhao Hang, President of China Automotive Technology and Research Center (CATRC).

Another important reason for the decline was that Chinese auto exporters lacked knowledge about overseas demand, government policies, regulations, and certification.

To help automakers get latest information about overseas auto markets, the CATRC launched a training session in Beijing last week, attended by 12 domestic auto and component companies.